The Dark Ocean
by mitsune
Summary: Ken has to relive his fears of the Dark Ocean, for another's bidding. Or, the other's pain.
1. Yasuko

I feel like this is blasphemy to digimon. I don't know if any of this makes sense or not, never mind that I'm not quite sure this is accurate to digimon. If I say: please review? Would you review? If not, why do I ask? Oh, yeah, the disclaimer, I do not own anything to do with digimon. So, I own: Yasuko, her endless sacrilegious digimon (well, her digimon and its champion forms), and erm, that's it. So, don't get to mad at me. Please. Also, I do not mean to dis any of anyone's favorite characters, but I ended up really doing that. I also ruined all the "happy couples." I am quite sorry. I hope that does not dampen the story too much.  
  
I spin in my chair, and finally look back at my laptop. The map of the digital world stares back at me. I ignore it, and change into my clothing for bed. Serenimon lies on my bed like a large white cat. Her feathery white wings are clasped on her back, and covered by her long pointy bunny ears. She rolls to lie on her side; her tiny round white paws sprawled in front on her. I pick up my crest, and lay it next to my lamp. Serenimon wakes, and walks, as she usually does, on four feet towards me. I sit next to her on my bed, the pale light from the moon making lighted squares on my dark bed. She mews, and rubs her head on my elbow.  
  
She finally speaks. Her voice is small and intelligent, and her large cat shaped blue eyes look at me now. "Yasuko, you should sleep." My digimon's voice echoes my mother's. The crest glowed in my hand. Serenimon wrapped up in a white sphere, which stretched into a cylinder. How ever they digivolved in the videos was nothing like the reality of the event. It was all done on my computer. Tall white boots reach almost to her white bikini bottom. Three pairs of long pale feathery wings lay on her back. Her naked arms have white black serpents writhing, biting at her wrists. White gauze makes a shroud around her, almost like mist. Serenimon's champion form, Erosmon. "Child of Destiny, Child of Darkness I too have a counterpart that you are all too familiar with." Her face is covered with a gold helmet much like Angewomon wears. Her long blonde hair hangs over her wings. I cast my eyes down. Child of Destiny, Child of Darkness, I am Hikari's counterpart. She is the Child of  
Light, her digimon is Angewomon. I am dark, with black hair and black eyes, a frequent visitor to the Dark Ocean, Child of Darkness. I should know now that we are both digidestined because we are the opposites, I am sixteen. We defeated Arukenimon four years ago, it seems so long. It seems it so long ago when I used to see Ken in the Dark Ocean often, when I befriended him when he was Kaiser. Miyako used to envy the mysterious smiles and secret laughs Ken gave me. I knew why, he didn't have a crush on me like she thought. Miyako will never understand.  
  
My voice meets the empty air, "Erosmon, am I destined ever to love in the Dark Ocean, are my hopes and dreams scattered to the four winds?" Hikari escaped the Dark Ocean because she is the Child of Light. I am not so lucky. I never have been. "I met my fears, yet I still cannot escape its clutches." Hikari had love, which I do not possess. Someday I will be loved, loved by more than Erosmon.  
  
"Nor will you. You are the Child of Darkness, the Dark Ocean is your home, and you are its Queen. Neither Hikari nor Ken were royalty there, they did not belong, as of yet." I sigh, that is how it has always been, I am always the odd one out. The ninth digidestined, then the seventh digidestined, I filmed all the adventures. I later sent copies of all the filming to Mimi, when she moved to America. I was never in them though, I had to film. My adventures were never good enough, Serenimon was never strong enough. She only has defensive attacks. So I never possessed a digiegg of anything, although I have two crests.  
  
I climb into bed, and feel my eyes shut, sleep overcome me. I wake to my alarm clock buzzing. I throw on my pants and long sleeved shirt. Fingerless gloves slid over my palm, I am ready. My laptop is already in its case, I carry it on my back like Izzy used to carry his. Serenimon is already awake. My white D-3 is in my hand.  
  
"Digiport, open!" My voice echoes throughout my room. Spinning or anything else I showed the digidestined do to get into the Digital World was a hoax. It is painful, I feel like I am squeezed through a sieve, and molded together again. My D-3 blinks, the other digidestined are here too. I run through the rough forest undergrowth, my sneakers crunching the dry leaves. The leafy shadows play on my face. Serenimon flies near my head, her wings beating in time to my foot falls. I thought Ken would feel left out, but no, he befriended Daisuke. I was Takeru's friend, but even now, our differences are so great . . . I turn the corner, and watch them talk and laugh. I squat in the underbrush. Serenimon follows my lead, she understands me too well. Takeru's wide blue eyes show the innocence I never could possess. I know too much. He looks about him, and his eyes fall on mine. He doesn't notice me. Takeru rarely notices me, now, he is popular, girls swarm over him. What am I? Miyako  
talks with Iori, and Ken walks alone. He notices my presence. I wait for them to pass before I make my presence known. I then catch up with the group. My presence is not noticed.  
  
Ken's quiet voice is heard above the chatter of the others, "Why did you not join us earlier?" For that I have no answer. I cannot say that because I couldn't help defeat you Ken, I am not considered a digidestined. Ken shares my fear of the Dark Ocean. His straight blue hair veils his face. Takeru falls back in the line to talk to me and Ken. I don't know why, I am still nobody. Much of his unruly yellow hair is still stuck under a hat.  
  
"Yasuko?" He has a smile for me that makes his whole face light up. I try to smile back, but my mouth won't cooperate. Only my eyes smile; my black as night eyes. I listen to them all, a spectator among friends. I am only not a spectator when I play soccer. I practice with Daisuke and Taichi every weekend, sometimes Ken joins. My anger can flow into the ball, and its many tricks. I beat both boys, and Daisuke still thinks he can play better than I can. I am just nothing, so no one cares to say otherwise.  
  
I fear nothing in the Digital World. There is nothing to fear, the Dark Ocean is the scariest place possible, and I am Queen there. I do not want to be royalty, but I am. Hikari was given the offer and she turned it down. I cannot turn it down; Takeru cannot save me as he saved Hikari. I do not want him to save me.  
  
We finally reach a clearing to eat our lunches. I walk off. I walk far enough away so they cannot see when Serenimon digivolves. Erosmon stands before me in all her glory.  
  
"Child, why do you call upon me, when you have no problems?" I shake my head.  
  
"I have problems, too many. I am not a digidestined; I am the Child of Destiny, the Child of Darkness. Is there no other like me in the world? Is there no other Child of Darkness, or Child of Destiny? Is there no other to fulfill the position of the Dark Ocean's Queen?" I beg. My eyes fill with fleeting desire. I watch her again over in a globe of blinding white light, which narrows. Darkerosmon, a female that looks oddly like me. None of the other digidestined has seen her champion forms.  
  
She takes my hand and leads me into the Dark Ocean. I stand on the gray-brown shore. The ugly water digimon crawl on shore. My head is now adorned with the black crown of their Queen. The Scubamon take me on their backs, and I ride out into the ocean. The Scubamon swim under, leaving me floating on the flat water. My clothing has now fallen off me, the black gauze dress of the Queen now enrobing me. I wade back to shore, my dress wet. I must return to the Digital World. I can hear the other's calls for me, even though we are worlds apart. I take my leave. I now hear their calls clearly. Darkerosmon stands next to me. My hair hangs in wet strands; as it has not done that before. Never before has the Dark Ocean seemed so real. Never before has my doings there affected any other world.  
  
Darkerosmon murmurs, "There is a King, you shall not always rule alone." Ken finds me. He wonders about my soggy hair. I shrug, I cannot answer. They will know someday that I am as much their enemy as their friend.  
  
"Is this your digimon?" Ken wonders. I nod.  
  
My digimon's soothing musical voice reaches Ken's ears too, "I am Darkerosmon, sister to Ladydevimon." Soon Hikari and Iori arrive. Iori's eyes open wide in fear. He is young and has never visited the Dark Ocean. He doesn't know what fear is.  
  
"You are one of the Queen of the Dark Ocean's advisors. But, Yasuko, your crest is the Crest of Destiny," Ken's words are muted in awe. I am not who they think I am. Darkerosmon has shown then that. I am not the innocent photographer. They will never understand. They do not know the oaths I have taken or the pledges I have made. I turn away from them all. Their attention should not be on me, I am nobody. I am a spectator. I wish I could confide to someone other than my digimon.  
  
I can hear my digimon's silky voice when they are out of earshot, "Yasuko, you are ruled by Darkness, and you must find a King. Even you cannot rule alone." I turn so I am facing her. The white serpents hiss at me, and her hair falls like mine; thick black silk that falls over her six black wings. She is taller than I am, but not much. I run to catch up.  
  
They are finishing their lunch. I sit at the edge. Serenimon follows me soon after. She sits on my lap, and places her head on my knee. Ken absent mindedly pets her. Miyako scowls at him. Let her love Ken Ichijoji, and all his secrets. I have more secrets. Darkerosmon's words echo in my head. You must find a King. You must find a King. My king can be none of them. Takeru is the Child of Hope, Daisuke, a fool, Ken never returned to the Dark Ocean since the events of four years ago.  
  
I set my computer next to Serenimon on my lap. A map of the Digital World almost automatically fills the screen. I ignore it and return to the map of the Dark Ocean. The map doesn't show the constant fear and loneliness when you are there. Nor does it show the responsibility I accepted when I became Queen. I was destined to be Queen; I am the Child of Darkness, as is I am the Child of Destiny. Takeru, who sits near me, leans to look at to screen. He gasps at the known terrain he once saved Hikari from. I just smile slightly. I breathe the air thick with dying trees, readying for winter. It is the smell that I welcome so openly, a smell that has always accepted me. I don't want to be Queen, though.  
  
The others leave, and I continue to sit amongst the dry leaves. Serenimon's huge eyes open, and shut, a slow blink. "Why do you not join them? Why do you not join Takeru and Ken, both of which just want to accept you? Or Hikari, who wants to befriend you? Hikari is easy to like," Serenimon says. Hikari is also so easy to hate. A deep burning jealousy that she will always have what I cannot have. She will always be loved and accepted. Acceptance is so dear to me. But she is the Child of Light, my mortal enemy, the one who I am destined to fight. Whether or not I defeat her, is what the fate of everyone depends on, even if they don't know it.  
  
"And I am so easy to hate. They do even know what I possess, yet I am shunned. They think I just have the crest of destiny, its power unspeakable, but the crest of darkness has power unimaginable. Take me to the Dark Ocean." The waters soon lap at me feet, and the sand of the beach meet my bare feet. The crown adorns my head almost immediately. The empty silence is haunting, and eerie. I now wish of a King for this barren land. A chosen mate to aid me. I know I think weak thoughts, impure thoughts.  
  
The Queen is pure and dark. The dress now hangs about my frame. The thin black gauze layers and long skirt that tickle my bare feet. The nonexistent breeze ruffles my hair. I am a silhouette against the gray bluff. I am the Queen to this land, an easy target for anyone who dares defy me. But nothing shall, even Devimon is under my power, all dark digimon are. 


	2. Ken Ichijoji

Thank you BlueMew for reviewing. I published the chapter for you, no one else really reviewed. Some of the "happy couples" are still not together. It is fun to ruin conventional relationships. Adding another character (MY CHARACTER) really cuts down the conventional relationships. Did I already say I do not own digimon? Well, I don't. I DO own anyone I earlier mentioned. So, they're MINE!!! Well, they're mine as I know. So . . .  
  
A woman paces the shore. She calls me, yet I fear her. I fear this place. The Dark Ocean. I have visited it often, so long ago. I wished to forget it all. I wanted to be accepted. I will never be. No one could forget that I was the Digimon Kaiser. No one will ever forget. Yasuko had accepted me early on. She accepted me, the Digimon Kaiser; but she holds more darkness than I ever shall. To her it was a game. But she knew where her boundaries lay. Serenimon has always been by her side, a beautiful protective shadow. Even Serenimon has hidden darkness-Darkerosmon.  
  
The woman is beautiful. I can tell that from a distance. Her long black robes whisper with her movement. She holds power that none of the digidestined's enemies before could possess. If any of their enemies could, they would never have defeated them. Darkerosmon flies to me. She blocks my path. Her voice is entrancing and sweet. I forget about the serpents that hiss at her wrists. I should not forget so easily. The digimon could bring me back to evil easily. The dark spore in my neck makes it so simple to do so.  
  
"The Queen waits." She need not say more. I walk more sure towards the woman, the Dark Queen. She stands in all her splendor before me. Her long black robes fall to her feet, and the shiny black stone crown is on her head. She is beautiful. She possesses large black eyes, and hair as black as night. She seems so commanding, and so tall. She is shorter than I am. Her face is smooth and young. All her airs do not cover that she is no older than sixteen. I noticed two silver chains around her neck; two crests at her throat. She is so familiar. Her quiet shock is so familiar. Darkerosmon now stands at her side. She stares at me boldly, but it covers fear. I can see the fear in her eyes. Fear in her black void-like eyes.  
  
She speaks. Her voice is smooth and level, as is her gaze. "Ken Ichijoji." She casts her eyes down. Her smooth speech and level gaze are gone. She now looks like the young, scared girl she is. "I did not mean to do this you. It should not have been you. I thought it couldn't be you. I thought it could be no one I knew." Her eyes glisten. She radiates beauty. "I used Miyako to stop my own desires. I wanted you to love her back, so I would never feel remorseful. She is not part of this. She was never was your destined wife. I would know." She laughs halfheartedly, but it turns to weeping. I pity her. I pity the Queen of the Dark Ocean. She is prime evil, or so I thought. She seems so truthful. "You think I am evil, how you are wrong. The Dark Ocean is not evil. It is pure fear. You come here if you cannot accept your own fears. I never could. It is consequence that I am also the Child of Darkness. You could never either. I would know." Her voice is faulty.  
  
"Then who are you? Why would know me so well? Why would you know Miyako? Why did you use her? What are your desires that you hide?" I cannot believe I am arguing with her, the Queen. She seems so hurt. She seems so real. Her reddened cheeks are real. She takes off her necklaces, and drops them in my hands. The two crests lay in my hands. One looks like the crest of courage. Except unlike the crest of courage, the rays are inside the circle. The other is a simple circle. I can only recognize the inverted sun. It is the crest of destiny. She is Yasuko. "Yasuko?" My words come out as no more than a squeak. She nods, and hangs her head. "What is the other crest?" I ask but I know already. It is the crest of darkness. I deserve that crest, not her. I was never kind. She was always kind, to me. I have the crest of kindness, and she the crest of darkness. She is destined to a life of fear. She is destined to a life of misery. I was the digimon Kaiser, not her. Why am I not the Dark  
Ocean's King? Why is she the Queen?  
  
"I am Yasuko. They have chosen you as their King. The Queen is quite powerless. The Child of Darkness is powerful, she is fated. I am both, you are the King. You can reject it. It may not be easy to find another. But it is not impossible. You were an obvious choice. You have strong links to the Dark Ocean. But so does Takeru." She turns and walks away. Darkerosmon digivolves back into Serenimon and runs to her feet. Wormmon has been silent in my arms. I don't care for him to speak. I too am speechless. Yasuko is my fated bride. She is still the girl I remember seeing many times in the Dark Ocean when I was the digital Kaiser. She is still the girl who would wander blindly at the shore and weep into the water. I would stand in the shadow of the bluff like a statue and watch her. The Dark Ocean never changes. I rarely was in the Dark Ocean after I became a digidestined. But the Dark Ocean looks the same.  
  
I guess I was happy then. But then there always was her. She stood at the edge filming it all with her uncanny eyes. I would often she her at the park, kicking a soccer ball into the goal. No one was ever with her. Once or twice I walked over and practiced with her. She was better than Daisuke or Taichi. When we finished she would laugh and tell me that I was a better opponent than Taichi or Daisuke. She would then pick up the ball and walk away. Taichi is good, how could she better than he is? She seemed so happy then, but now I know she wasn't.  
  
I run to catch up to her. She slows and stops, again turning. Her words are soft, like she doesn't want them to be known. "You want to leave. I understand. You accepted your fears. Yet again you are here." The surrounding area brightens and changes. I am back in the digital world. The other's exclaims about my brief disappearance are ignored. Miyako comes to my side, but I pay her no heed. She looks hurt. Her long lavender hair is drawn over her shoulders, and her eyes behind the large lenses are clouded. I want to tell someone, someone who wouldn't turn on me. Daisuke wouldn't understand. He has never been to the Dark Ocean. Hikari has been there before and so has Takeru. I would not tell Takeru, he is too innocent. I will not tell him yet. I feel like am betraying Yasuko's trust, her friendship. Now I really could become the King of the Dark Ocean. I ask to speak with her. Miyako scowls at me. I ignore her, much as I like her.  
  
I ask her if she knows Yasuko well. The question is impertinent. I know she will say no. No one knows her well. Except Takeru. It is so obvious; they were friends before anyone messed with things beyond their control. He is innocent. But he is less so than I thought. I thank Hikari. I walk over to talk to Takeru. He turns and smiles. He is so innocent. He is still able to be a possible King.  
  
"Yasuko worries me," Takeru says. I am taken aback. I did not think he would care. He supposedly likes Hikari. Patamon flies near his head. Patamon's big eyes open, concentrating. Takeru's eyes are drawn. I cannot read their watery depths. He would make a good King for Yasuko. He is her opposite. I feel like such a coward and a traitor. I want Takeru to take my place. I cannot face the Dark Ocean again. It is too much for me. I was greatly weakened in body and mind after I stopped being the digimon Kaiser. That place is too much for me. Yasuko should know that.  
  
She knows me better than any one person should. So why does she want me to know her as the Queen? Does she want me to be her King? She said she had no choice. Is she is so consumed in Darkness that she could lie? Why would she lie to me, when I thought she was my soul mate? Then why would I suspect her of lying? Am I so repulsed by her position that I do not believe her anymore? I thought I valued our friendship, I thought she did. Yasuko does value the friendship. She tried to save it. She wept for me. She shed no tears, but she wept for me as best as she could weep. She valued it more than I did. I shudder at myself. I am such a fool. I still cannot become the King of the Dark Ocean. She is the Queen. I cannot best her. Can Takeru?  
  
"Why?" I ask.  
  
"She hides so much. I fear for her. She grew away from all of us. When we were nine, we were so close. Yamato thought she was interesting. He was glad I was out of his face. So she came with us when we went to summer camp, but she filmed much of it. I again was an annoyance to Yamato. She became the quiet distant girl I soon befriended. I moved when we were twelve. Then again we were digidestined. She doesn't film everything. Daisuke thought I had a crush on Yasuko. That was the only reason he did not strangle me. He didn't understand. He was almost right. She went to my old school. I received e-mails at odd hours from her. She tried so hard to keep in contact with me. We'd see each other often in the digital world." He sighs. He likes her a lot. Would he like her if he knew who she really was? I thought I was her friend, but I am scared of her now. I am a horrid friend. I thought I had the crest of kindness. This cannot be kindness. It is fear. She was right, I am the King.  
Takeru loves her. He will stop when he realizes who she really is. She knows that, she is the Child of Destiny. I watch my surroundings change. I am back in the Dark Ocean. She is still standing on the shore. She turns when I enter the world. She reaches me.  
  
Now I betray Takeru, "Takeru loves you. More than I ever will. Why is he not the King?" She shakes her head. I feel so stupid in front of her. She gives the impression of being so majestic and serene. I am not. I do not possess such a guise. I do not deserve the crest of kindness. Not after today. The Scubamon push me onto their backs. They bring me to the middle of the Ocean. The Scubamon drop their support. I flounder a second, and start swimming back to shore. The clothing I wore fell off me, and the black outfit similar to the one Iori once wore now adorns me. The black stone crown is now on my head when I step out of the water. Yasuko silently nods. Wormmon shakes at my ankles. I pick him up and follow her. She has now found her King. I am such a pitiful King compared to her. Serenimon is so beautiful. She is so beautiful. Why did she choose me? I am a fool. Takeru loves her, yet I am her destined partner. She would know. She is the Child of Destiny. 


End file.
